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Hair lightening sprays are great hair products to help lighten your hair without going to a professional. They won’t give you the desired results you would get as you would with a professional, but they can give you a lightening effect in the summer.
The market is flooded with hair-lightening sprays; some are better than others. We’ve narrowed it down to the seven best hair lightening sprays to save you the time and energy of filtering through the hundreds out there.
What’s the Best Hair Lightening Spray?
In our opinion, we’ve found that the best hair-lightening spray is the Sun Bum Hair Lightener. This affordable yet effective hair lightener is easy to get at most stores and online retailers and offers a significant, natural lightening effect on light hair.
Besides the Sun Bum Hair Lightener, we have six other products worth considering.
Our Top 7 Picks for the Bes Hair Lightening Sprays
- Best Overall: Sun Bum Hair Lightener
- Best Paraben Free: Klorane Lightening Spray
- Best for Controlled Lightening: John Frieda Sheer Blonde Lightening Spray
- Best Splurge: Oribe Bright Blonde Lightening Mist
- Best for Natural Lightening: Okara Blonde Lightening Spray
- Best for Dark Hair: Suntouched Hair Lightener
- Best for Budgets: Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Blonde Lightening Spray
Why You Need a Hair Lightening Spray
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Hair lightening sprays are great for the summer months when you want lighter hair but don’t necessarily want to head to the hairdresser. They’re great at providing a natural lightening effect on hair and can give you that sun-kissed hair that people love having in the warmer months.
Best Hair Lightening Sprays: Top 7 Picks
As you shop around for a hair lightening spray, here are our top seven picks for the best hair lightening sprays you’ll want to consider purchasing.
1. Sun Bum Hair Lightener
- Paraben free
- Lemon scent
- Works on medium brown to blonde hair
- It won't work on darker brown hair
- It might be too acidic for weak hair
Our top choice for hair lightening sprays is Sun Bum. This lightening spray has a refreshing lemon scent, is paraben free, and works best on medium brown to blonde hair. It even works well on color-treated hair that’s been dyed blonde or a lighter shade of brown.
Sun Bum’s Hair Lightener spray comes in a four-ounce bottle that is easy to carry with you in your beach or pool bag. You can apply it on wet, damp, or dry hair and all hair types, which is one of the reasons we chose it as our overall pick.
This lightening spray is cruelty-free, has UV protection to prevent further hair damage, brightens your light hair, and is humidity resistant. The one downside we’ve noticed is that since it uses natural lemon to lighten and for the scent, it could be too acidic for brittle or weak hair.
2. Klorane Lightening Spray
- Camomile honey scent
- It gives a natural golden highlight to light brown hair
- You can use it with or without heat
- It doesn't work well on dark hair
- It can take a longer time to see results
Many hair lightening sprays are paraben free, but the Klorane Lightening Spray is our top choice for the best paraben-free hair lightening spray. You’ll apply the spray onto dry hair and then leave it on until you wash it out.
With regular application, the Klorane Lightening Spray can naturally lighten your hair in three to four weeks. You can spray it in the morning and leave it, but if you want faster results, you can spray it on before you spend time in the sun or apply heat to your hair.
The scent is relaxing and not as strong as other lightening sprays on the market. You’ll love the camomile honey scent! Remember, this product won’t work well on dark hair; if it does, you won’t see the golden blonde color you’re thinking of.
3. John Freida Sheer Blonde Lightening Spray
- You'll have more control over the areas you want to lighten
- Prominent hair care brand
- Great for any shade of blonde hair
- You only get 3.5 ounces
- You may get a yellow/orange tint
John Freida is a prominent hair care brand, especially for blondes. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that their Sheer Blonde Lightening Spray made our top seven list of best hair lightening sprays.
This product gradually lightens your hair to enhance your color-treated or naturally blonde hair. This spray comes with a better nozzle that helps you control where you’re applying the product, which is perfect for those who only want to put it on certain parts of their hair.
The bottle comes with 3.5 ounces, which should be sufficient for several uses. You’ll want to use the product after you’ve conditioned your hair, and it’s damp.
You can style it, allowing heat to help speed up the process. Some people report a yellow/orange tint to their blond hair, so you might need to use a purple/blue shampoo if this happens.
4. Oribe Bright Blonde Sun Lightening Mist
- Suitable for those with dry hair
- Peroxide free
- Works on dry or damp hair
- You only get three ounces for the hefty price tag
- It works best with their other hair lightening products
If money isn’t an object for you, or you’re willing to spend more on a hair lightening spray, then the Oribe Bright Blonde Sun Lightening Mist is the best option. This fantastic product is ideal for color-treated blonde hair or light brown hair, as well as those who have dry hair.
You can apply the product to damp or dry hair and use your hair dryer or the sun to help the lightening process along. We love that it’s peroxide-free, paraben-free, and dermatologist tested.
Oribe’s lightening spray is UV-resistant to keep your hair safe throughout the lightening process. One downside to this product is that you only get three ounces for a steeper price than others.
5. Okara Blonde Brightening Spray
- Okara extract included
- Natural effect
- Silicone, paraben, and peroxide free
- It won't lift brown or black hair
- Some users report the product damaged on arrival
Most of the products here provide a natural lightening effect on hair, but we’ve found that the Okara Blonde Brightening Spray best gives it a “natural” look.
The product is paraben-free, peroxide-free, and silicone free to ensure that your hair stays as healthy as possible whenever you use the spray. The Okara extract is what makes this one stand out to us because it helps nourish and keep your hair soft.
We love that there are five ounces in a large bottle so that it can last for longer. This is an excellent product if you already have blonde hair, but it’s not known to lift brown or black hair.
6. Suntouched Hair Lightener
- Works wonders on dark hair
- Available in a blonde option
- Loaded with vitamin C
- You can only use it once between hair washes
- You'll only see fast results when using a hair dryer
Our favorite thing about the Suntouched Hair Lightener is that they offer one product designed for blondes and one for dark hair, making this the best lightener for people with dark hair.
This spray will help you naturally lighten your hair by using lemon and other natural components. The pineapple extract and lemon provide a delicious scent, and the vitamin C helps keep your hair healthy.
The product is never tested on animals and paraben free. You’ll only want to use it once between washes to avoid damaging your hair.
7. Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Blonde Lightening Spray
- It's under $11
- Works on brown hair too
- Easy to apply
- It'll take longer to lighten dark hair
- You'll end up with a brassy hue
The Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Blonde Lightening Spray is an excellent choice for those on a budget. Remember, you get what you pay for, and it doesn’t have all the same benefits as others on our list, but it’s still a decent choice for the price.
It has all the lightening properties you seek and can be applied to dry hair before going out in the sun. You can use it on damp hair and then style as usual, but this one works better when you’re out in the sun.
We love that this product is good for those with brown hair, but you should expect the process to take longer, and you’ll end up with a brassy hue you’ll need to correct if you aren’t happy with that.
Finding the Best Hair Lightening Spray for You
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Before purchasing a hair lightening spray, there’s a lot to consider. Here’s a quick buying guide to make sure you get the best option for you.
Price
You’ll want to consider the price. If you’re not on a budget, you can disregard this consideration, but it’s worth mentioning. Some hair lightening sprays are more expensive and provide the same results as more affordable options.
Customer Reviews
Not everyone values customer reviews in their considerations before buying, but when it comes to hair lightening sprays, you should. Everyone’s hair is different, but knowing how well the product works for other people can give you a better idea if the product is worth your money.
If It Can Lighten Your Hair
Lightening sprays are great for those with already light hair, but there are some that help lift darker hair. If you have darker hair color, it is important to ensure that it can lift your hair to a lighter shade even a little.
Frequently Asked Questions
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There’s a lot of science behind lightening your hair and hair products. These are some of the most frequently asked questions about hair lightening sprays.
How do I get the orange hue out of my hair?
Knowing how to get specific hues out of your hair is easy when you remember the color theory. If you have an orange tint in your hair and want to tone down the brassy color, you should use a blue shampoo since it’s the opposite of orange on the color wheel.
Are there natural bleaching agents to lighten your hair?
Besides using bleach or hair lightening sprays, there are natural bleaching agents you can try. Some natural bleaching agents you can use to lighten your hair include combining baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, and chamomile tea.
Does lightening spray damage your hair?
Lightening sprays can cause damage to your hair. As long as you’re using a high-quality lightening spray, take good care of your hair, and are always honest with your professional hair stylist, you can minimize the damage that these sprays can cause.
Are the results from hair lightening sprays permanent?
Yes. Hair lightening sprays will cause a permanent change in your hair color wherever you apply them. The best thing you can do for yourself before using it all over or in the several spots you want is to do a test strand to ensure you’re happy with the result.
So, What’s the Best Hair Lightening Spray?
Overall, we’ve found that the best hair lightening spray is Sun Bum Hair Lightener. It’s affordable, smells great, and will naturally lighten your hair. Even if this product isn’t the one for you, any of the others on our top seven list will surely impress you.